Dugout Discussion

Sterling benched as Guardiola subjects Man City to heavy rotation

Pep Guardiola has struck perhaps the cruellest rotation blow of 2019/20 as he benched a swathe of Manchester City assets for an appealing home match against Bournemouth.

Raheem Sterling (£11.8m), Kevin De Bruyne (£10.8m) and Riyad Mahrez (£8.6m) were all among those selected to watch the initial proceedings among the substitutes.

That could prove a particularly disastrous development among the top 10,000 Fantasy Premier League managers with roughly 20% of them handing Sterling the armband for Gameweek 36+ and just over 10% opting for De Bruyne.

Gabriel Jesus (£9.8m) and Phil Foden (£5.5m) are among the fortunate souls to survive Guardiola’s infamous rotation policy, both named in the front-three alongside Bernardo Silva (£7.6m).

There will be plenty of attention on David Silva (£7.3m) who scored 17 points in his last home match against Newcastle.

The points potential for all Manchester City attackers has certainly taken a boost from the Bournemouth line-up, which features left-back Lloyd Kelly (£4.4m) filling in at centre-back again, this time alongside Steve Cook (£5.0m).

Meanwhile, not even Aymeric Laporte (£6.3m) could escape Guardiola’s roulette, selected on the bench to allow John Stones (£5.3m) and Nicolas Otamendi (£4.8m) to start together at centre-back.

Manchester City were not the only team to shuffle the pack for Gameweek 36+ with Wolves also making some alterations to key personnel.

Matt Doherty (£6.5m) has dropped to the bench, which means a start at right wing-back for Adama Traoré (£5.6m).

The FPL midfielder’s drop back to a deeper role has left a space open in the front-three, where Daniel Podence (£4.9m) joins Diogo Jota (£6.0m) and Raúl Jiménez (£8.1m).

Wolves face a Burnley side which still features Erik Pieters (£4.2m) in midfield and Jay Rodriguez (£5.7m) up-front with Chris Wood (£6.1m).

Finally, Spurs are in action at Newcastle, with their key Fantasy assets all in place, even Serge Aurier (£5.1m) whose family have faced a difficult week.

The right-back is joined in the team by Son Heung-min (£9.6m) and Harry Kane (£10.9m) while Newcastle go with a 4-2-3-1 formation in support of Dwight Gayle (£5.0m).

Full Line-ups

Burnley XI: Pope; C Taylor, Tarkowski, K Long, Bardsley; McNeil, Westwood, Brownhill, Pieters; Rodriguez, Wood.

Wolves XI: Patrício; Saïss, Coady, Boly; Vinagre, Neves, Moutinho, Traoré; D Jota, Jiménez, Podence.

Manchester City XI: Ederson; Mendy, Otamendi, Stones, Walker; Fernandinho, Gündogan, D Silva; Foden, Jesus, B Silva.

Bournemouth XI: Ramsdale; Rico, L Kelly, S Cook, Stacey; J King, Billing, Lerma, Gosling, Stanislas; Solanke.

Newcastle United XI: Dúbravka; Yedlin, Fernández, Schär, Krafth; Shelvey, Bentaleb; Ritchie, Almirón, Saint-Maximin; Gayle.

Tottenham Hotspur XI: Lloris; B Davies, Sánchez, Alderweireld, Aurier; Winks, Sissoko; Son, Lo Celso, Moura; Kane.

2,336 Comments Post a Comment
  1. SAKA AND EMILE SMITH ROWE
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Pope 3rd save

    1. Royal5
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Desperate times.

      1. SAKA AND EMILE SMITH ROWE
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        Desperate times indeed

  2. HuttonDressedasLahm
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    City thinking about FA Cup already

  3. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Bournemouth have played some great stuff in the 2nd half.

  4. Hybrid.power
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Everyone going nuts for the Chelsea and City games because of the opponents. Mad results

    1. HuttonDressedasLahm
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Well, Norwich was mad
      This, not so much. Bournemouth playing for their lives, City for nothing

  5. Don Kloppeone
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Oh ... my...

  6. BEEZUS
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Jesus winning goal BPS?

    1. BEEZUS
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      If they win!

  7. KGFC
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Wilson waste 🙄

  8. Champions League Varane
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Ffs Sterling USELESS

  9. Tempestic
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    ffs ederson..

  10. jimmyabs1987
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Kane goal

  11. diesel001
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Kane G
    Lamela A

  12. WVA
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Every goal that goes in I lose points, down to 14 now lol absolute joke.

  13. Bubz
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Sterling goal on the counter to save gameweek

  14. how now brown cow
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Kane goal

  15. SuperMane Returns
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    6 mins 🙂 ...City on the ropes.

    1. AC/DC AFC
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      This!

  16. Top Lad Dakes.
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Cannot believe the luck some people have getting Jimenez off the bench for KDB... ffs

  17. Hybrid.power
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Kane is back?

  18. El-Kloppico
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Kane

  19. Tempestic
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    that kane yellow has ruined me as well. RIP Bonus

    1. Tempestic
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      nvm KANNNNNNEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE LETS GO

  20. have you seen cyan
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Cant believe how gash Cherries been all seaosn, then in these finals games they play their socks off vs the tough opponents.

  21. Sim Simma
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Son -baps

    1. dark91
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Why?

      1. Sim Simma
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 13 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        Kane stealing the Baps

        1. dark91
          • 8 Years
          3 years, 8 months ago

          Ah ok. Still time for another Son goal 😉

  22. AC/DC AFC
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    6 mins to get the equaliser

  23. Gudjohnsen
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Pulisic (C) looking like a haul now

  24. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Kanessential

  25. Ha.
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Salah better deliver

  26. Top Lad Dakes.
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Kane wtf

  27. Begbie.
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Stones and Otamendi are absolute clowns. The chuckle brothers.

  28. Cojones of Destiny
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    no kev no game realize that you bald fraud

    1. jblakes
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Yep no KDB and laporte city=bad

  29. Chucky
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Ederson get out along with Foden ASAP

  30. jblakes
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Wtf are city doing?

    Stones is a terrible defender